The perceived constraints, motivation, and physical activity levels of South Korean youth.

Abstract

The purpose of this research was threefold; Are Korean youth physically active to promote health during leisure time? What constraints to physical active do youth experience during leisure time? Are there relationships among constraints, motivation, and physical activity level? Of 1 280 youth randomly selected by a multi-staged cluster sampling technique, 1 109 completed questionnaires. The results of this study revealed that vigorously active participation in physical activity during leisure time for Korean youth was found to be negatively correlated with higher levels of constraints; youth who engage in a higher index of motivation tended to have lower overall perceived constraints on physical activity; youth who engage in a higher physical activity levels tended to have higher motivation index on physical activity participation. The findings of this study might be explained by the strength of motivation as an important factor of dealing with constraints and participating more frequently and vigorously in physical activity during leisure time for youth.